Livas hopes to stick as Miami Dolphins return specialist

August 25, 2011|By Harvey Fialkov, Sun Sentinel

DAVIE — When Dolphins undrafted rookie receiver Phillip Livas was en route to tying the NCAA Division I record with eight career punt and kickoff returns for touchdowns at Louisiana Tech, he was dubbed, ‘Saturday Night Livas.’

If Livas hopes to massage his nickname to the more appropriate day of the week, the 5-foot-7 speedster may have to duplicate his game-turning 75-yard punt return touchdown from the first preseason win over Atlanta in Saturday night’s game against Tampa Bay.

“Just another good opportunity to showcase what I can do, make good decisions out there, catch everything, catch a seam and hopefully make another big return to show them I can compete on an NFL level,’’ Livas said after Thursday morning’s practice inside the bubble.

“It doesn’t matter the size, I got the heart.’’

Livas, 22, who averaged 28 yards on three kickoff returns in the first game but just 18 yards on two kickoffs and five yards on two punts in the last week’s victory over Carolina, doesn’t appear to be in the running for one of the congested receiving corps jobs.

In order for Livas to make the final 53-man roster it will probably have to be as a return specialist, a role that many pundits believe has been diminished since the installation of the new kickoff rule where kickers tee it up from their own 35-yard line instead of the 30.

It may reduce injuries while also reducing exciting returns.

But don’t tell that to Livas or Dolphins coach Tony Sparano, who equates superior field position to a playoff berth.

“No, only because, if people are going to do it the way I think they’re going to do it, which is to squeeze the field,’’ Sparano said of kickers trying to pinpoint their kickoffs inside the 10. “Until we prove to somebody that we have something special back there, they’re not going to knock it out of the end zone [for touchbacks].

“You don’t want to put an ice wagon back there, that’s going to get six, 10 yards on something or you got to knock down people a couple times before you gain yards. I think we’re going to have to prove to people that we can catch the ball, and make yards that equal more than the 20-yard line area [before] they start knocking it out of the end zone.

“Livas had the first game against Atlanta and in the first two punts [against Carolina they], outkicked directionally away from him. That told me a little something in that deal and I think that’s kind of what you’re trying to get to.’’

Sparano said one reason the Bears made the playoffs last year was because they have dangerous Pro Bowl returner Devin Hester back there – even the threat of him - to help Chicago lead the NFL in drives starting past the 20-yard line.

“[Chicago] is not one of the better teams in the league a year ago on offense, but yet, they led the league in drives over the 20 yard-line because of the return guy,’’ he said. “Whether people are kicking it away from him, whether they kick it out of bounds, and they’re going the ball there, they kick it to the guy and make that mistake. All these things took place and that team ends up in the playoffs.”

Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter, who was 12th in the NFL last year with 14 touchbacks but sixth in the AFC in average kick-return yards (24.6), said the new rule may help him avoid a Hester-type returner, but it hasn’t forced him to practice more directional kickoffs.

“It’s a situational thing,’’ Carpenter said. “Who you’re playing, weather conditions, indoor-outdoor, there’s so much that goes into it you can’t say you’re going to line up and kick it out of the end zone every time.

“I think it’s one of my weak links so I’m always working on long kicks, short kicks … to be prepared when you need that.’’